


Let's Face the Music and Dance

by JehanFerres



Series: The Lives we Got Instead [1]
Category: Les Misérables - All Media Types
Genre: "Platonic" Cuddling, "Platonic" Kissing, Drug Use, Fluff and Angst, JehanFerre!, M/M, Platonic Cuddling, Platonic Kissing, except not, hhhhh this is really dumb idek
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-06-13
Updated: 2013-06-15
Packaged: 2017-12-14 21:47:14
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 1,771
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/841740
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/JehanFerres/pseuds/JehanFerres
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Combeferre has always had trouble admitting to feeling things, but this is ridiculous.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This was based on a 100-word drabble (seriously it was; it was just really bad hhh) in which Combeferre proposed to Jehan and I don't know how it evolved into this, I really don't. (But it probably has something to do with my girlfriend.) Anyway, this is basically Combeferre Avoids His Feelings for Jehan: the Saga. (Plot twist "The Music" is Combeferre's feelings for Jehan. Dancing is probably an innuendo I don't know.)
> 
> Also I'm REALLY sorry if my writing is a little shaky; I usually write in second person present tense (because I also read Homestuck) and I haven't written in 3rd person for a loooooong time and it seems really clunky to me hhhhhhhhh.

Combeferre has always had trouble admitting to feeling things, but this is ridiculous.

He is currently sat with Courfeyrac and Éponine, doing his level best to gently drag the subject (this was probably going to result in Courfeyrac being annoying and trying to force him to admit to his feelings - which, by the way, he doesn't have) away from a certain grey-eyed poet, and back towards the task at hand (whatever that is; he honestly just wants to drop the subject of his failure of a love life and get onto something that wasn't these two trying to set him up with Jehan).

"Okay," Combeferre groans eventually, finally tired of innocuous but well-placed comments from Courf and unashamed prodding from Éponine. "My exams finish on Saturday," he barters, "and Jehan has told me that he needs somewhere to stay for a couple of weeks before he goes back home." Courf nods at this, suddenly serious - they all know of the issues Jehan has with his father, although Combeferre better than most, as he generally ends up on the receiving end of Jehan's upset and annoyance. "I'll ask him to stay here for as long as he's hanging around, right? And if he says yes, I'll try to raise the subject then, if I can."

The emphasis on "try" is obvious, but Courf has great faith in Combeferre's ability to talk to attractive poets he obviously wants to have sex with.

The next day at the Musain, Jehan manages to purloin Combeferre before the meeting starts and before Enjolras can start complaining about his latest Grantaire-related disaster (which, based on the way he glares across the back room of the café at the drunkard, was not an insignificant one) to his friend, and even with his inability to talk properly to Jehan, Combeferre can tell that something is very much amiss.

As he guides Jehan over to the door with a placating hand on the boy's back, Courf makes a face, but drops it when he sees the little poet's expression, waving the two of them off with a concerned expression.

"I... may have underestimated how angry my father is with me. About Feuilly, that is," Jehan admits hesitantly, after a couple of minutes of staring down at his sandals and odd socks. Combeferre nodded, knowing that Feuilly and Jehan's relationship, which had ended a couple of weeks ago, had been a source of great contention between the poet and his father for the whole of its life - Jehan, while not strictly homosexual, in that he is perfectly open to relationships (and, occasionally, to sex, if with exactly the right one) with women, is certainly more interested in men.

His father is not pleased by this. To say the least.

Combeferre, having known Jehan and Enjolras for meany years, obviously has a great understanding of this problem, having heard Jehan's father's Republican rants more times than was in any way comfortable.

"By which... by which I mean that I may have underestimated how long I'll need to be away from him this time." By which he means he's been kicked out.

By which he means he's not sure what to do.

"You can stay with me for a while, okay? My flat is Patently Cheap, as you know - nobody rents it because the heating's broken and it's winter and I'm not going back home either way," Combeferre replies gently, only part of which is an excuse: while his flat is cheap, because it's close to Greenford Station, people do want to rent it - even during the winter. However, because Combeferre and his landlady (a woman in her seventies) get on well, she's willing to let him keep hold of it sometimes.

"Thanks," Jehan mutters, still not able to look Combeferre in the eye, angry about what had happened with his father and guity about mooching off Combeferre, which he viewed as being Wrong - but still relieved that Combeferre is happy to let him stay with him. Leaning up, he presses a quick kiss against an extremely startled Combeferre's lips, and then flits off cheerfully. Combeferre follows after a couple of minutes, and when he tells Courfeyrac what happened, the flirtatious man crows triumphantly. Combeferre punches him however, so that is the end of that.

Although, Courfeyrac suspects, it probably isn't.

Well, he'll be able to credit himmself with getting Combeferre into bed with Jehan.


	2. Chapter 2

Within a couple of days, it really sinks in for Jehan that his father basically doesn't want him to come back - after this has happened, he sticks close to Combeferre's side most of the time that they're able to be together, and Combeferre honestly isn't sure whether this is out of hopelessness or romantic affection - but it doesn't really matter; as long as Jehan is at least feeling okay, he's happy, because he does, obviously, care a huge amount about Jehan.

At the moment, three weeks after Jehan asked if he could stay with Combeferre, the two of them are sitting together on a sofa in Combeferre's flat, Jehan leaning against Combeferre, whose arm is around the little poet's waist - he had found Jehan in the back room of the Musain that day, either drunk or high or both and carefully bundled him into his car to get him away from the Musain. Jehan wasn't completely feeling okay, even now (about two hours later), and Combeferre was nervous of leaving him alone.

Jehan is, however, awake again (and coughing) within a couple of minutes, nuzzling against Combeferre. When he stops coughing, he turns and puts his arms around Combeferre, who hugs back and kisses the top of Jehan's head. "I thought you'd stopped smoking," Combeferre says softly. When Jehan looks down, ashamed, Combeferre gently lifts his chin with one finger, and kisses him (he's started doing that just to show affection and support lately; Jehan knows he doesn't mean anything by it), and Jehan nuzzles against him and sighs.

"I'm not judging your for it," Combeferre continues gently once he's pulled away. "But... don't let him get the better of you like this." His voice is gentle as Jehan cuddles up against him, and really he feels as though he should probably tell Jehan how he feels some time soon, but probably not now; Jehan's too emotional (even though he is obviously trying not to quite as over-emotional; that's why he's been smoking), his head buried in Combeferre's chest.

"Well, what can I do?" he groans, his voice scratchy from frustration. Combeferre rubs his back. "I don't want to let him get the better of me; why would I? I can't do anything about how he treats me and... and he hates me doing this; this is the only way I can fight back against him!" he snaps, suddenly shoving Combeferre away, and curling up on his own on the other side of the sofa. Combeferre sighs, haf-considering just leaving and coming back when Jehan is in a less bad mood - but he's unwilling, because he doesn't want Jehan to hurt himself.

It takes a few minutes, but Jehan eventually settles back beside Combeferre; he doesn't look quite so distruaght, and his arms go around Ferre's shoulders, fingers of one hand touching the back of his neck, melting, somewhat guiltily, against his friend. He leans up slightly to press his lips to Combeferre's, not entirely sure what he's thinking at the moment. "I should probably call him, I don't know," he says softly. Combeferre nods. "I don't like him," he mutters.

"To be honest, I'm not that keen, either," Combeferre admits gently. Jehan chuckles, and Combeferre moves around a bit so that Jehan can nuzzle into his side, and runs his fingers through Jehan's hair for a few seconds, before putting his fingers gently under Jehan's chin and turning his head so that they're looking at each-other. "Hey, just promise that you won't hurt yourself to get back at him or because of anything he does, okay? It isn't your fault; you shouldn't be the one suffering because of him being horrible to you."

Jehan sighs, turning his head away, and replies, "Why shouldn't I, though? I'm the only one who'll be affected. Nobody else is going to care, are they?"

Combeferre is, by now, just about ready to give up on Jehan, although he feels horrendously guilty for this: he grabs Jehan's shoulders and forces the poet to look up at him. Jehan doesn't even try to look away. "Listen, Jehan," he snaps. "People WOULD care if anything happened to you, even thouh you seem to have convinced yourself that nobody gives a shit about you - because you do matter and a lot of people do care about you!" He sighs, putting his arms tightly around Jehan. "I'm sorry. I know that was harsh, but it's true. People care about you. I care about you," he says, more gently than before.

Jehan wraps his arms tightly around Combeferre. "I... I believe you," he says against Combeferre's shoulder, his voice shaking somewhat. "But... Why?" he asks softly.

"What do you mean?" Combeferre is extremely conscious of how neatly Jehan's body fits around his; how the smaller boy cuddles into him - he's probably going to tell him soon because he doesn't know exactly how long he's going to be able to cope with his feelings for Jehan when they're like this, when he's just able to cuddle Jehan and kiss him and it not mean anything and it's the most frustrating thing ever because he can't do anything without probably confusing Jehan.

"What I mean," Jehan says softly, looking straight at him, "is that I want to know how you really feel about me," he says softly. "I... I don't mean whether you like me at all, but..." He closes his eyes and shakes his head. "I'm sorry. I'm being stupid. Again." He attempts to laugh, but ends up resting his head against Combeferre's chest.

"Why do you ask?" Combeferre asks softly, stroking Jehan's hair with one hand. "Because... because I definitely do have feelings for you, but I won't act on them if you don't feel the same way, because the last thing I want is to make you feel uncomfortable."

Jehan nods at this, and runs a hand through his hair. "I... I feel the same way about you," he admits softly, resting his forehead against Combeferre's. Combeferre smiles and leans forward to kiss him, wrapping his arms gently around Jehan's waist, and Jehan tips his head slightly to the side, his mouth opening a little against Combeferre's.

He still tastes of drugs, but Combeferre doesn't mind.

**Author's Note:**

> This is also shorter than I would have hoped for but oh well I can't write 1000000000 pages for everything w/e it's all good. Anyway yeah I wrote this in about an hour and a half goodbye friends I am gone. (New chapter will probably be up some time on Saturday/Sunday once I've written it IDEK.)


End file.
